“You do not become good by trying to be good, but by finding the goodness that is already within you.” — Eckhart Tolle

Where is my Pluck?

To have pluck is to be spirited with a determined courage. Its very definition is inspiring — bravery, nerve, valour, guts and heart — but how can we truly embody this deliciously tantalizing trait?

If you feel you’ve lost your pluck or, perhaps, never had it in the first place — a good place to begin to look for it is within.

It cannot be found, with any sustainable long-term results, at:

The gym
The latest copy of ‘Heat’ magazine
The TV/gaming console or any other distracting electronic device
The bottom of a bottle
That new nightclub around the corner
The mall (note to self — especially the shoe shop)

Don’t get me wrong — there is a certain amount of nerve that comes from wearing shoes that elevate you a couple of inches.

I’m not saying you need to stop doing any of these things if they make you truly happy, I’m just pointing out that the things on the list above can be titanic distractions if you are seriously trying to pursue better living.

There’s a bit of magnificence in you and it shines like a diamond, however, unlike a lump of coal enduring vast amounts of stress to produce a diamond — yours is innate. It just might be covered in layers of soot.

Fight-or-Flight Syndrome

We Homo Sapiens have an inbuilt radar system called ‘fight-or-flight’. It can be pretty useful in dangerous situations.

Say for instance, you are being chased by a lion (it surprisingly doesn’t happen often, I know — not even in South Africa, where I live) but for the sake of a good metaphor, I’ll use it.

The chances that you stick around to face your foe and brave out the storm are slim. It would be far more prudent to take flight (preferably up a very high tree). This kind of scarpering in the face of certain death is essential for survival.

To fight it — say perhaps you were armed with a rifle or a kilogram of catnip — may also be wise if there was a high possibility of success (i.e. living to tell the extraordinary tale to your grandchildren).

The only problem with this ingrained sense of preservation is it get’s in the way of our emotional and spiritual growth.

The Human Duress Barometer

The fight-or-flight response is also known as acute stress response.

Essentially, this response prepares the body to either fight or flee any potential threat — no matter what it is. It is also important to note that the response can be triggered due to both real and imaginary threats.

A lot of us have lost our magnificence and have given into the stress of trying to ‘stay alive’ or play it safe.

Uncovering Your Diamond

It wasn’t really my intention to get you to accept your death in this article (although it certainly wouldn’t hurt), it’s more about finding your innate wisdom and knowing that all is well within you — your diamond core essence, living from your heart center.

To stand in love is to fear nothing — there simply isn’t enough space for fear.

In the Face of Inevitable Doom

I was in a discussion where two mature chaps, whom I happen to love and respect dearly, were debating what they would do in the face of a tsunami.

I said that it would be more compelling to stand your ground, knowing that you are about to enter a new phase in the chapter of your existence and to face the wall of water with a sense of awe and acceptance — to which one of the gentlemen concurred.

He said it would be better to face your death with love and peace in your heart and to enjoy the power of nature as the water swept you away. What an amazing perspective — to actually enjoy your own death!

The other lad, however, was shaking his head at us, not quite believing what he was hearing. He stated that he would turn tail and head for the hills! He couldn’t quite understand why we would not want to save our lives.

We retorted by stating that if death was inevitable, the only thing you can do is to truly embody the experience of passing on.

If you can do this with a sense of security about who you are, embracing your divinity, and facing impending doom with reverence and love in your heart — you will die according to your own terms and not in fear.

When Mind and Heart Work Hand-in-Hand

We all need our minds to navigate and to add some kind of structure to our lives but, all too often, our thinking carries us away on paths that don’t serve us. Our heart, on the other hand, is our intuition — our own personal guide.

If we can process situations through our heart first and then our heads, we would be living our luminosity.

To find the magnificence of your soul is to uncover heart-based living. To truly encapsulate your divine essence that is immortal, wise and glorious.

You are more than a mammal walking on the face of the earth. You are more than a statistic on a governmental consensus sheet.

You are a unique and heavenly expression that, with a bit of spit and polish, can radiate and cut through the heart of any situation to get to the deepest of truths.

You are pure magnificence wrapped up in a corporeal vessel.

“More important than the quest for certainty is the quest for clarity.”

— Francois Gautier

Original article written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for Lightworkers World